Graphic Novel Review: Snapdragon by Kat Leyh

Posted on July 7, 2020 at 10:35 am by Gene Ambaum

Snapdragon by Kat Leyh. First Second, 2020. 9781250171115. 224pp plus sketches, original covers, and process pages in the back.

When Snap goes looking for her dog, Good Boy, she finds him at Jacks’ place. She’s supposed to be the town witch and she scares Snap a bit, but Snap knows there’s no such thing as witches, and anyway the old woman helped Good Boy when he was hurt. So after she finds some possums who need help, Snap takes them to Jacks, who makes a deal with her: she’ll show Snap how to care for the possums if Snap works for her (collecting roadkill, but Snap doesn’t know that for a few pages). She’s soon helping Jacks articulate dead animal skeletons, and also hanging out with her new friend Louis, who loves the same movies she does. Everyone sees them all as weird.

There are stories within the story, one in particular that connects Snap and Jacks (who has a very interesting past), plus the monstrous One-Eyed Tom that stalks Snap’s family. There’s a bit of real magic, too, though friendship, love, and family are at the center of this graphic novel. (Leyh is co-writer and cover artist for the Lumberjanes series if you need more to recommend this. Plus it has one of the best library scenes ever (see below).)